Various artists have negotiated resistance to these powers that be, developing idiosyncratic works in the process. Among these are masking practices, such as the development of alter egos and becoming characters in communal (online) spaces. Claiming ownership of one’s own online identity, and therewith citizenship to certain spheres, can be bought by those fluent in modelling digital appearances using account profiles and VR software. Confessionals defiantly reject the threat of overexposure in favour of claiming these spaces out loud (even if only in a whisper). Meanwhile, fly-on-the-wall documentarians remind us that even offline we are subjects of performance and censorship. Whether inflected with earnest sincerity or biting irony, the lens continues as a co-conspirator in laundering images for public consumption that would otherwise remain relegated to the dark corners of privacy.

This programme was created by Manon Falces as part of her Internship in 2020